What is A Parish Patron?

A parish patron is a historical role with the traditional right, called an advowson,

Key Roles & Rights:

Presentation: Their primary function is to put forward a suitable candidate for a vacant parish living.
Consultation: They must be consulted on significant changes, such as pastoral reorganizations or issues with church property.
Continuity: Patrons often provide a long-term perspective, connecting the parish to its history, unlike clergy or parishioners who come and go.

Who Can Be a Patron?

Patrons vary widely and can include:

Individuals (former landowners, etc.)
The Crown (in England)
Universities (like Oxford or Cambridge)
Diocesan Boards of Patronage
Charities or Patronage Trusts

Historical Context

A Lord of the Manor This role originated in Anglo-Saxon England and Norman England,and was the the landowner of a rural estate (manor) who held Manorial Rights over the land and its tenants.

Manorial Rights mean that the Landowner (Lord of the Manor) had )the rights to build and live in a residence, known as the manor house and the rights associated with the role of landlord, who historically managed he people who worked the land (labourers) and could achieve an income from the land.

Founders and Founder’s Rights: From the earliest days of the establishment of parishes in the 11th and 12th Centuries, when a Lord of a Manor built or endowed a parish church on their land, they became known as Founders. As a Founder they were granted the right to nominate the priest who would serve there. This right was known as advowson This right was attached to the land and not the the person who founded the church or owned the land. This was done to ensure the landowner retained control over the tithe income (agricultural taxes) from their estate.

Founder as Patron: However the person who founded (built/endowed) the church was known as the patron and this role and the rights it held were inherited by whoever held the manor lordship

An Advowson – Inherited Rights: The advowson (the right to be the patron) was legally attached to the manor itself, not necessarily to the person of the lord, meaning it could be bought and sold along with the manor.

Lord of the Manor and the role of Patron The Lord of the manor was historically often the patron of the parish church but not necessarily so. When the landowner and the Lord of the Manor were the same this meant that the Lord of the Manor had advowson rights and therefore in addition to nominating new priests as a Patron, also had financial interest in the parish as the landowner. In East Worlington, as in many parishes this maintained an interest in the Rectory, mainly in connection with Glebe land and therefore the main connection with the Recotry was through the barn which had a role associated with farming and therefore the land.

East Worlington – Lord of the Manor, Advowson, and Patronage and the Earls of Portsmouth

Manorial/Rectory Rights: The Earl of Portsmouth held advowson rights (the right to appoint the clergyman) for the parish, meaning the Rectory (the clergyman’s house) and its associated lands/buildings fell under their control.

Historical Power: As major landowners, the Portsmouth family were essentially the feudal lords, deeply tied to the church’s administration and wealth in East Worlington.

Church Patronage: This patronage extended to funding church improvements, like the 19th-century rebuilding paid for by the 5th Earl, further cementing their

The Earl of Portsmouth became Patron of East Worlington because the Parish Hall (previously a barn) was part of the Rectory, linking it directly to the Earl’s patronage rights, a system where the landowner (the Earl, a powerful figure in the area) held rights to the church living (appointing the rector), thereby extending influence over church-related properties like the Hall (barn). This connection solidified their historical role as key figures in the village’s church and community life,

The Earls of Portsmouth

The first Earl of Portsmouth was John Wallop who was born in 1690 and died in 1762. The title of Earl of Portsmouth was created by King George II in the Peerage of Great Britain on April 11, 1743, for John Wallop, 1st Viscount Lymington, a prominent politician. As a politician, for services to the political party, he had been rewarded by an appointment as a junior Lord to the Treasury. However the following a British Financial crisis known as the South Sea Bubble Wallop was removed from the post and was compensated through the creation of the title of Earl of Portsmouth.

The Earldom has passed on through generations of the Wallop family, and in 2026 Quentin Gerard Carew Wallop is the 10th Earl.

More details about the Earls of Portsmouth

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